Finishing 2026 With Purpose

As the year draws to a close, many health-system pharmacy teams find themselves balancing year-end budget planning, the peak of respiratory virus season, and preparations for the end-of-year conference stretch. It is a demanding stretch on the calendar, and it consistently shows how central pharmacists have become to the institutions they serve.

That position was hard won. Over the past several years, health-system pharmacists have stepped into roles that once sat at the margins of the profession. They lead antimicrobial stewardship programs, manage transitions of care, guide the appropriate use of high-cost specialty therapies, and increasingly help determine how artificial intelligence is integrated into clinical workflows. Each of these responsibilities demands clinical expertise, operational insight, and the confidence to lead across disciplines.

November offers timely reminders of that range. National Diabetes Month highlights the pharmacist’s role in navigating a cardiometabolic treatment landscape that has grown more complex and more promising with each new therapeutic class. US Antibiotic Awareness Week reinforces the stewardship work that health-system pharmacists have championed for years, often with limited resources and outsized impact. In these areas, the pharmacist is the health care professional best positioned to connect evidence to individual patient care.

This issue of Pharmacy Practice in Focus: Health Systems reflects that same commitment. Our peer-reviewed content, clinical forums, and practice-focused features aim to provide you with real-world evidence you can apply in your practice and institutions, perspectives from colleagues facing similar challenges, and practical guidance for the operational decisions that shape how care is delivered. As always, our goal is to publish content that is rigorous, relevant, and grounded in the realities of health-system practice.

As we enter a season of gratitude, I want to thank you for the work you do every day. Much of it may be unseen by patients, but it remains essential to their safety and outcomes. Your expertise, adaptability, and dedication to patient care are what make this publication worth producing. I look forward to continuing the conversation with you in the year ahead.